Dead Silence
by Rosedream
Summary: Quiet. Shhhhh. Don't let her hear you. - Completed story #2
1. Chapter 1

Dead Silence

A/U: This is a continuation of my previous story Dead Attractive. Many people wanted more to that story but I honestly felt that the case was over; therefore the only way to give more is to do what the original series does, start a new case.

Chapter one:

The case began as most cases do with a person entering the office. She was petite with dark brown hair cut to the middle of her back. Her dress was plain but tailored, well washed and well used. She looked tired and her eyes had dark rings that aged her face. She bowed upon entering and inquired if there was someone she could talk to with regards to her case. Naru had been in the office with me when she had stepped in.

"You may join me on the couch. Let me get my other assistant to take notes. Mai, tea."

"Hai!"

Everyone was settled around the couch when I came back with the hot tea. I poured and then sat down with a cup.

"Arigato for listening to my story, you see I run a boarding school for young women, ages 12-18. We have always had our scary stories." She smiled faintly. "But recently it has escalated to more than girls scaring each other and playing pranks." Here she frowned, eyebrows drawn in concentration. "It has become more in that the girls have begun to show bruising hand prints on their arms, and more alarming on their necks. Last week a girl was late for class; we searched all the rooms only to find her in her own closet, strangled so that she was unconscious but thankfully not dead. She has gone home to recuperate." She sighed, looked up at us and asked pleadingly. "I need your help, we are not a large school and I don't know how to handle this. It is beyond my learned abilities, but not yours please help me!"

Naru seemed to consider her before turning to Lin, "We will need to get our equipment packed." Then Naru turned to me. "Are you ready for a new case?"

I was surprised that he felt the need to ask me that. But then again my last case a month ago had left me in the hospital for two weeks. The exhaustion was still lingering, or at least that was the excuse I gave when I was late yet again. I looked at the lady who needed our help.

"Hai, I am ready!" I said with a large smile for Naru.

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I was surprised to learn that the school was quite close only an hour away from the office. It was decided that because of the proximity to everyone's homes only Lin, Naru and myself would actually be required to stay at the school. Everyone else would come during the day (or night) as needed. Naru wanted to scope out the place, I guess.

The school was gorgeous with an old world Japanese feel. The gardens were perfect examples of Japanese school of thought into how a garden was suppose to interact with the house. In that there wasn't a separation but to have continuation so that the outside was inside and the inside outside. When we got there the mistress of the school Montai Minoka showed us to an empty room.

"Please use this as your base. We have cleared it out for you use and moved the two girls who had occupied this room into another's. I am going to have to leave you on your own now. I need to attend to other duties. All of the teachers know why you are here and I am sure all the girls do as well. You are free to go anywhere or put equipment up anywhere you deem appropriate. If you need to do so in a girl's room please let me know so that I might inform them and ask if they would like to move for privacy reasons. Good day and thank you for coming so promptly."

Lin and I got to work bringing in equipment. Naru helped at first but then concentrated on getting the brought in equipment set up in the room. Last I brought in our overnight bags and sleeping futons. I was a little unnerved that I would have to sleep in the same room as Lin and Naru but at least I wasn't alone with either of them!

Bou-san and Ayako arrived just as we were done with the base. Lucky bastards!

"Bou-san, Ayako accompany Mai around the campus and take temperature readings in every room and put cameras up in all corridors and classrooms. "

I wilted at his words. What more work! Where was lunch?? My stomach growled loudly at the thought. Suddenly I was aware that everyone had paused to look at me. "What!? I am hungry!"

Naru shook he head at me, and looked at Lin, "Lets' go and get food and meet some of the students."

Bou-san and I were chatting down the hall, loud and happy, Ayako next to me making sarcastic comments. Naru and Lin were in front leading the way. Suddenly I felt a cool breeze lift the hair on my neck. I turned in mid sentence from some cutting comment to Bou-san.

A girl was cowering at the end of the hall. Her head was down and arms wrapped around her legs. She was rocking back a forth. A strange moaning or whoosh of air was coming from her. Suddenly she looked up at me. Tears, streamed down her face and she made that funny moaning sound again. She straightened and I realized that her throat had been slashed open and the noise was coming from the flapping ends of the wound on her neck.

She looked at me and then drew her finger across her neck in a dreadful mimicry of the wound. She pointed at me and said very clearly, "Be quiet or she will find you."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I am going to change up the points of view to make sure I get all parts of the story that I need. Please bear with me. Also this will be a shorter chapter. Sorry some personal issues but I did want to get this out.

Chapter Two

"Bou-san!" Mai's voice wavered, drawing the attention of Naru and Lin who had kept going down the hall. Ayako and Bou-san had paused when Mai had turned to look down the hall. Mai was pointing down the hall, her arm quivering with fear.

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The girl down the hall suddenly stood up, anger darkened her face into mean lines. The smooth gaping smile of her slit throat quivered with the force of her abrupt movements. She was suddenly in front of me, anger rolled off of her. Her breath smelled of blood.

"I TOLD YOU TO BE QUIET! " An evil smile crossed her face; she leaned closer and whispered in my ear "I am going to tell on you!" Then she giggled a girlish sound that had no place in the threats and evil she had just promised to bring down upon me.

"No I will be good! Please don't!" I pleaded I did NOT want to have another up close and personal with crazy ghost yet. I shook my head at her trying to plead.

I didn't realize I had been backing up until I bumped into Naru, the smell of tea and cologne cutting through the smell of blood on the girl's breath. The girl looked up when I bumped into Naru. "Who is he? I want him." She grabbed my arm, the pain was deep and immediate, and suddenly I hit a wall. The last image before I fainted was an angry Naru.

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When Mai called my name I had already turned to try to find out why she had paused. She was pointing down the hall. I looked and saw the faded image of a young girl. She must have been part of the school. But it was just as obvious that she was no longer part of the living. Suddenly the ghost was in front of Mai talking to her. Ayako and I quickly started to chant, but Naru cut us off. I think he wanted to find out what the ghost had to say.

I couldn't hear a thing. But it was obvious Mai could. Her face got paler and then she started to plead with the ghost, walking backwards as though the ghost was going to hurt her. Naru quickly went to her. As soon as he got there the ghost turned violent, picking up Mai and slamming her into the wall. Lin got to the ghost before I could. If it had been me I would have taken that ghost out completely for a stunt like that. Obviously not a Casper.

I went to pick up Mai but Naru beat me. Hmmm I should tell Mai later that Naru picked her up as one might a bride. He looks very upset for Naru. Serves him right he should have let Ayako and I fry that ghost's ass before this had happened to Mai.

Naru took Mai back to the base kneeling down to lay her on the futon. Ayako quickly did the Doctor bit she does and said the Mai needed ice for her head, there was quite a lump on the back of it. Lin went to get ice and I sat down next to Mai. Deep purple bruises already showed on her arm resting on the blanket. Naru seemed to be staring at the bruises, his cheek flexing and his lips were almost white. He doesn't like to see Mai hurt like this. Good. Because he should know better than to let a ghost next to Mai like that. She attracts the crazies! Great Buddha! She is a magnet for all supernatural. It is like she has a sign over her head. I watched Naru who stared at Mai.

I know that Mai's confession of love during our last case had unsettled him. He has started to watch her more. I hope he comes to a decision soon about how he is going to address the issue. Everyone else is watching as well. (Masako seems sick about it and has been visiting the office every day, possibly to stop any more confessions…) I can't wait for the show to start!

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Mai was lying on the futon when suddenly she sat straight up her body ramrod straight and said, "I am going to be late I must hurry!!" Then she fell back hitting with a thump. Her chest pulled up and a soft light pulled out of her chest and streaked through the wall and was gone. Mai's body went completely still and then she started to breath softly.

The four people around Mai all had dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Naru's and Lin's weren't quite as pronounced though. Bou-san broke the silence.

"What the hell!?"

"Lin! Did you get a read on it?"

"Hai, that was Mai's spirit."

"Ummm" Bou-san scratched his head, "Doesn't that mean she should be dead?"

"No, Mai has shown the capabilities to spirit walk. The issue is that now you and Ayako cannot do any exorcisms until she returns."

"I see! She may be confused if we do and pass over as well."

"Precisely now we can't just exercise the school, we must find out what exactly pulled her away and also exactly what is keeping the ghosts here. We need Masako to help find Mai and bring her back." Naru looked determined and his eyes turned glacier blue as he started at the prone body of Mai.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

I was late! Oh lord the teacher is going to kill me! I ran down the hall, skidded around the corner and jogged to the closed door. Taking a deep breath I opened the door slowly. Suddenly it was yanked out of my hand and an imposing figure loomed over me.

"Late Ms. Chaske? You will serve detention! Go to your seat! I presume that you at least finished your homework?"

I nodded meekly and handed my essay to her outstretched hand. I quickly scuttled into the back of the room and took my seat, Sensei was a lady no one ever wanted to make mad! She has been known to throw erasers at girls who dare fall asleep in her class or smack a girls hand with a ruler hard enough to leave welts for misbehaviors. No one looked at me as I sat down. I was new by a few days and no one wanted to be friends yet. It was because of Cho she had seen my boyfriend drop me off at this all-girls school and had immediately been rebuffed when she had tried to cuddle up to my boyfriend!

His name is…. Um my head hurts I can't think of what his name is. He is beautiful though, black hair blue eyes that are warm… no cold… Hmmm that is strange why can't I think of his name? Na? Na?

"What are you dreaming about?" My teacher was in my face, anger turning her face purple.

"nuu..nuu..Nothing, ma'am!"

"Well at least you admit to having nothing in your brain! And at least you are quiet unlike some!" She turned her body in a snap to stare at Cho. Cho showed herself as no dummy and shut-up and hunched into her seat.

"Class I will have your complete attention and silence! Now we will begin!"

Wow! This lady has some serious anger issues!

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"Masako tell me what you see?"

"Shibuya-san there are many spirits here. So many girls and they are scared, terribly scared of someone." Masako wilted and managed to fall on Naru.

Bou-san rolled his eyes, missing the presence of Mai, then he would be able to have someone to hold back from committing violence and have fun with at Masako's expense.

Naru picked her up and set her in John's arms.

"Where is Mai?" Masako's eyes widened and then narrowed. "I don't know yet, I will have to walk the whole campus."

"Very well, Ayako-san please accompany her. John, Bou-san and I will finish putting up the cameras. We need to see if we can find her that way. Everyone be alert for something that indicates where she is."

With that Naru himself picked up a camera and went into the room closest. It seemed to be a class for math. Bou-san and John shrugged at each other and picked up camera. Masako and Ayako eyed each other with unhappy glares, huffed and set off. Lin turned around to start the feeds on the camera's that were being set up.

John set up a camera in the language room and Bou-san in the science room. More cameras' more rooms.

"Boy I forgot what it was like to be in a school like this!" John nodded agreement.

As they were working the afternoon bell rang signaling the girls in from their lunch break. Many of the girls started to give John and Bou-san flirtatious glances. Bou-san was grinning broadly while John seemed uncomfortable.

Naru was also having issues with girls coming up to him and trying to engage him in conversation. Fortunately Naru is very taciturn and most of the girls just stood back to admire after a while. Suddenly out of the corner of Naru's eye he saw Mai. He looked up from the camera that he was adjusting and saw her fitting in one of the desks hard at work in a Math book.

"Mai." He said moving in front of her desk.

She didn't look up.

"Mai."

Suddenly she started to talk. But there was no sound. Actually it looked like she was muttering to herself about some math problem. As he was watching he saw something make her jump and look up at him. But she looked through him, fear filled her face and suddenly her arm was wretched up and her body was being dragged out of the room. Naru tried to grab her hand but his hand just passed through. As she went through the door she disappeared again.

All the girls in the room had gone quiet when they had seen Mai. As soon as she was gone they all started to wail and some even tried to get Naru to hold them. He ignored them and pushed some out of the way as he left the room. He wanted to see what Lin saw through the video.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the slow update, I had a miscarriage and frankly didn't want to do anything for a while.

Chapter Four

The video feed that Lin had captured showed a surprising amount of detail. Sitting in that math room was not only Mai but a whole class of girls studiously bent to their math books as a large woman stomped around glaring at them. Naru was in the picture as well walking through the woman at one point. It was right after he walked through her that he looked straight at Mai; then going to stand in front of her. As soon as he went over to her you could hear her muttering about the difficulties of figuring out A and B in relation to C. As soon as she spoke the large woman slide her head around in a serpentine fashion and stalked over to Mai. She walked though Naru and slammed her hands on Mai's desk making her jump. The woman proceeded to grab Mai's arm so hard her entire arm clenched and dragged her out of the room. The girls left in the room started to whisper. Only because the real girls in the room started to wail at Naru you couldn't tell what they were saying.

"Lin, can you isolate the voices?"

Lin set to work and a tense ten minutes later the ghostly whispers filled the air.

"Oh god! She is in big trouble."

"I told her to be quiet earlier!"

"Serves her right for not introducing her boyfriend to me!"

A softer whisper, "Do you think she is in the dark room?"

Softer still, everyone ears straining to hear, "I hope she isn't hurt too bad."

Bou-san exploded "What!? Did you hear that!?"

"I wonder what the dark room is?" John said.

"And what was that about a boyfriend? Ayako asked mischievously, smirking in Masako's direction.

Masako tossed her head and put her sleeve in front of her mouth forestalling any cutting arguments.

Naru stood there, hand on chin in contemplation.

"Ayako, check Mai's other arm, we need to confirm something."

Ayako went to where Mai was lying on the futon and brought out her other arm from under the covers. A deep blue and black handprint stood out from the paleness of her arm.

Naru nodded once.

"Oh this is NOT good!" Bou-san muttered.

"Indeed, it would seem that Mai is very deep into this spirit walk. We have to proceed with caution. What happens to Mai in the spirit world affects her body. Essentially her mind believes that it happened and therefore it happens to her body."

Naru walked over to Mai's body and looking down, stated "We need to find the dark room and get her spirit back to her body. No exorcisms until then. We can't chance that Mai will think she is dead and must move on."

He looked up at everyone, eyes darker blue then they had seen before. "We have to find her soon."

Lin called from the computer monitor's.

"Naru, Mai and the teacher are in the corridor headed for the head master's office."

"Lin monitor, Bou-san and Masako with me! John, Ayako, watch over Mai."

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The teacher dragged me down the hall. Her fist was so tight around my arm that her knuckles were white. The pain was so strong that I am woozy, tears are falling down my face and I am panting. She drops me in front of the head master's office and I curl up around my arm, whimpering softly

She stomps her foot at me, narrowly missing my head, I look up from my position on the floor. "Stop your whining! No good back talking brats! Children should be seen and not heard! In my family making a sound meant a beating! Children these days have it too easy!"

She knocked on the door, very polite and soft.

Running down the hall towards me was group of people that I felt like I should know. Worried eyes on a man who should be laughing, a haughty doll of a girl, and a boy, with blue eyes, who looks so familiar, Na? Na? What is his name!? The men were looking around the hall, but the girl looked right at me.

"Mai, snap out of it and come back this instant!"

I was startled she knew my name! I pulled myself to a kneeling position clutching my arm and sneaked a look at the teacher who was waiting in front of the door, afraid to answer.

The boy, the boy with the blue eyes, looked right at me then. "Mai, you are being foolish, stop spirit walking and go back."

"Who are you? I know you!" I reached out imploring him to answer; he could get me out of this nightmare!

His eyes got wide, and then narrowed. Before he could speak, a fist slammed into my face knocking me back down to the ground, the door opened to the head master's office and my teacher grabbed my hair and dragged me into the room, the upset faces of the group fading from view.

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When the group got back to base, Bou-san was growling in frustration, Naru was frigid and Masako was quiet.

Ayako was kneeling next to Mai, holding an ice pack to her bruised cheek and split bloody lip.

"I take it you were unsuccessful."

Naru came to stand next to Mai, eye's glacier and body rigid with suppressed anger. Bou-san stood next to him arms crossed. "She didn't know who we were." He turned to look at Naru. "That means she is in very deep. But she has also told us exactly what we need to do."

"What?" John asked bewildered.

Naru nodded. "She has to remember who we are."

"No," Bou-san shook he head, pointed at Naru. "She has to remember who YOU are."

Naru walked back to the computers, and said. "She will."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Short but intense.

Chapter five

Breathe… Air passes in pants

When I had gone into the office my mind had been racing with a desperate need to figure out those people. Especially the boy, he had made me happy, sad, angry, and lustful every time he spoke or looked at me with those eyes. In other words I knew him, loved him, wanted him but I didn't know who he was. It was like a wall, why couldn't I remember his name? The other two, I don't know their names either but his name is the one I want to know, the boy I want to be close to.

My teacher had jerked me to attention in front of the head master. I watched her wary and quiet. I had no wish for more pain. She eyed me from behind her desk. She is not a nice person, how I know this I can not say. But I know that she will hurt me if she can.

My teacher bowed, voice soft and respectfull, "My Lady, this child was being disruptive in class and needs to understand how we run this school."

"Very well." She stood up and walked around the desk to stand next to my teacher. My eyes widened the similarities between the two was uncanny. Obvioulsy my teacher was the child of this woman. Fear choked me in it's grasp, if my teacher was bad, how bad would my headmaster in charge of the school be? She smiled at me in a kind way, but her eyes were hard. "Children must learn respect, to be seen and not heard; to understand and to learn and to grow-up as contributing members of our society. Many children don't understand. They have been treated in a spoiled fashion, allowed to speak in disrespectful ways and interrupt adults. To behave in outlandish behaviors. There is no more respect in our classrooms, the children do not sit and learn. But talk back and interrupt. We in this school have no tolerance for this and will punish you to teach you the values of silence and respect."

She took me by the arm and led me to a wall. She touched a panel and turned the decreative knob on the wall, a section opened up, padded, if I didn't know better it looked like and upright coffin built into a wall! NO! I don't want to go in there! I back up shaking my head. My teacher came up behind me and pushed me in.

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Breathe… Air passes in pants

Silence… The quiet is so deep that my ears start ringing. I strain in the dark to hear a sound. Nothing. Time has no meaning when there is nothing to hear or see. The dark is so strong that my eyes start to create strange colors and shapes. When placed under sensory deprevation the mind starts to try to create what is missing.

I beat my hands against the padded walls of my cage. I scream out in the darkness! My voice is muffled even in here. Let me out! I am here! Please! Please! Oh Please!

No one answered back.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry the last chapter was so short. It just lost its intensity every time I tried to add what was happening outside of Mai's experience. Also thank-you everyone for the nice things you have written to me about my miscarriage. They were sweet and really helped.

Chapter six

Everyone was crammed into the little room that had been made into the base. The computers took up half of the room and then Mai's body was tucked into a corner of the room. Everyone else sat uncomfortable in the other corner on hard school chairs. It was time for the war meeting. Naru took charge.

"We need to find Mai, and then we will perform an exorcism on the ghosts and go from there. This would have been so much easier if Mai had kept herself from wandering off."

"I am not so sure that Mai meant this to happen!" Bou-san protested "you know that after being attacked again Mai probably tried to protect herself or run from what had caused her pain. Only because she was unconscious she ran in spirit form. She doesn't have that much control yet."

"Regardless we need to find Mai and the spirit that is keeping the other ghosts here. Masako, Lin tell me what you have."

"It seems as if there are two ghosts keeping them here. From what I can tell they are family maybe they were people in charge that would explain why the students listen to them."

"Lin?"

"My research has shown that there was a headmaster just before the current headmaster who had a daughter who taught the math class. It seems as though the daughter had committed suicide in one of the school rooms; it was over the summer break and kept from mainstream media. When the daughter died the mother was asked to resign. Numerous complaints had been made against the headmaster from the parents of the girls who claimed that the headmaster used cruel and unusual punishments on the girls. But no evidence could be produced and the school board had nothing substantial with which to fire the headmaster. She died three months ago at home."

"That's them then, they are the ones we need to get rid of." Bou-san said excited.

"We need to find Mai first." Ayako cut in.

"Yes, we need to get into the headmasters office. She was taken there for a reason. Masako, Bou-san come with me. John and Ayako search the math room for something that seems connected."

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"Why do I have to do these stupid searches? I don't like moving heavy furniture around. John please move that teacher's desk, the one that looks like oak. Push harder I think I see something. What's wrong? Sigh, I will help push."

Red in the faces from exertion both John and Ayako pushed and scrambled to move the heavy oak desk at the front of the room. Thank-fully the school hours ended and no one was there to seem them grunting and sweating.

SCREEECH!

They moved it about a foot. But that was enough to see that one of the tiles on the floor was not as old as the others. John pulled out a pocket knife and lifted the tile. Inside there was a journal.

"Diary of Jun Hisoka? Who do you think that is?" Ayako asked puzzled.

"It must be the teacher, read some of it!"

Ayako opened it in the front.

'Mother punished me again. She said that I mustn't ever talk in my father's presence again. That children should be seen and not heard."

Ayako flipped some pages.

"Mother said I talked too loud during our daily visit. She had the nanny put me into the dark room again. I can't make a noise in there. If she hears me I will stay in longer. My back still hurts from the whipping she gave me. I wish my mother was proud and honored by me."

"Mother said I could become a teacher at her honored school! I am so excited! I will show her that I am the best."

"My students show no respect! They talk all the time! The sounds of their voices hurt my ears! No wonder mother beat me so hard for talking! I will try my best to instruct my students as well as she taught me!"

Ayako and John shared grim looks, "Well that explains a lot, let's take this back to the base." They left, after much grunting and pushing to put the desk back into place.

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The hallways were quiet. The faint echo of girlish voice still on the air. After-hours a school still resonates with the life that had filled it up during the day light hours.

In this case reflected Bou-san it also has the lives of the dead filling it up at night. Bou-san looked at Masako, she seemed contemplative and she kept looking around, her eyes following what Bou-san could not. He sidled closer to her.

"Do you see something?"

She looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Yes, but these are not Mai. They are the ghost of the other girls trapped here."

Bou-san shuddered. "It must be awful to be trapped in high school forever!"

Masako smiled softly behind her kimono sleeve.

They arrived at the office. Naru knocked.

Montai Minoka the Headmaster answered, "Yes? How may I help you?"

"We have come to ask you some questions and look around your office." Naru quick and to the point.

Minoka sagged a little.

Naru cocked his head at her. "It seems as if this is expected?"

She waved them in. They followed and she gestured at the chairs. "Please sit this may take a while." They sat.

"When I took over this school, I had not been given many facts as to why the previous headmaster had been asked to leave. However when the incidents started to occur, bruising, girls choking, and the disappearance of one girl, I started to investigate or I should say research the schools' history. I learned that the Headmaster Jun had been asked to leave after her daughter committed suicide inside this school. It had been the last straw for the school board who had had a number of complaints about Headmaster Jun."

"What complaints?" Naru interrupted

"Several girls had complained of being struck by the Headmaster and some of the teachers. The Math teacher and the Headmaster's daughter had the most complaints of physical violence. But it was the stories of imprisonment in a dark closet that worried people the most. The girls said they would be locked up in there for hours, one girl claimed she was in there for two days with out food, water or restroom facilities. But no one could prove the claims! None of the girls knew where the closet was located and any of the physical violence was explained away or pardoned for one reason or another. It is my belief that some of the girls were given a large sum of money by the board to not formalize the complaints. They didn't want to loose the school."

Suddenly a muffled pounding thudded through the room. Bou-san cocked his head listening. "It sounds like someone beating their fists on something…"

The Headmaster sighed wearily, "Yes, that has been happening more and more frequently. That pounding has been happening off and on all afternoon."

Naru turned his head sharply at the headmaster. "All afternoon? When did it start!?"

She looked startled at him. "Umm… about 1:30 just after lunch."

He shot up out of his chair, Bou-san and Masako a second behind him. He started to feel the walls, Bou-san mirroring him. Masako started to chant softly as she scanned the room.

"What? What is going on?" The headmaster demanded.

"A friend of ours has been spirit walking your school, however she was caught by your ghosts and we believe her spirit was dragged into here."

"Here!?" She gasped, looking around. "But I have been here all afternoon! I didn't see anything!"

"Are you spiritually gifted?" Naru asked looking at her briefly. "No." "Then you won't see anything unless they want you too."

Masako shouted pointing at a wood panel three feet from where Naru was searching. "THERE! She is behind the wall!"

Naru and Bou-san ran to that section, running their hands on wall. Naru's hand hit the decorative knob and it turned a little. He motioned Bou-san back and then turned the knob completely. The wall opened up and out fell Mai.

She fell into his arms, ghostly and insubstanual but he somehow cradled her. Her eyes were shut and her face had tear tracks, he shook her.

"Mai! Mai wake up! Come back to us!"

She opened her eyes, and looked up at him. "Who? I…I…" She hunched into him the sound of her crying filled the room.

"Mai stop this! You are safe! I found you. Now come back to me!"

She stopped and sniffled. Suddenly her whole body tensed. She looked up again. "You came for me? I…I…" She shook her head as if to clear cobwebs.

"Naru." She whispered.

Joy filled her face. "Naru!" She reached up to touch his face and disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

Author Note: Sorry it took so long to update. It has been one of those months that have been awful.

Chapter Seven

"Damn, did someone get the license of that noodle cart?" I groaned. My whole body ached as though I had been beaten. The words that had come out of my mouth slightly mispronounced. It is hard to talk around a fat lip. I heard the voice of Ayako calling my name out in joy. I couldn't see what she was so happy about! Ouch I hurt. Can you wake up on the wrong side of the bed if you haven't gotten out of bed yet?

I tried to open my eyes, when I finally pried them open my vision was off. Wow I must have a spectacular black eye! What in the world happened to me? Last thing I remember is telling Naru that I was hungry.

"Naru?" Hmmm that didn't come out right, sounded kind-of pathetic…

"Naru?" Crap that sounded worse, I think I'll just keep my mouth shut it hurts anyways.

Suddenly he was in my line of sight, leaning over my body lying on the floor. "What do you remember?"

"I remember… we were going to get some food…"

"Hmmm."

Suddenly the silence was cut off by a loud rumbling noise.

Naru lifted an eyebrow at me as I blushed. What I didn't get any food that I remember! Sheepishly I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm still hungry."

"Oh Thank Buddha! She has returned!! The exuberant voice of Bou-san echoed in the room. Naru shook his head and stepped back. Ayako reached behind me and helped pull me to a sitting position. Ow…ow…ow… Finally I was up. Wow! I saw my arms, handprints in deep dark bruises marked my arms. Fear swamped me, what happened!

"Naru!?" I looked at him, please what happened! Why am I so hurt!

His blue eyes went from ice to ocean blue. He relaxed his stiff posture a little. "Mai you have been spirit walking and got caught. We had to save you as usual." His eyes changed back to an icier blue. "Ayako will be taking you to the hospital to be checked out and…" He cut a glance at my tummy "…feed you on the way. Lin please help them out to the van."

Lin nodded and came to me. With a stoic face he leaned down and picked me up. A soft whimper escaped before I could stop myself. Naru looked away from me. I watched his stiff back as Lin carried me out the door, Ayako leading the way. Well ... I guess I am just going to have to pry it out of Ayako! My tummy rumbled again… Better yet pry it out of Ayako while we eat!

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When I heard Mai talking it was all I could do not to fall over in relieved laughter! Noodle cart indeed! The topping on the cake was the fact that after all of that she was still hungry!

Naru, Naru! Watching him interact with a hurt Mai is like watching a wonderful anime with a big bowl of popcorn! Finger-licking good! Obviously he doesn't want to get involved and yet was restraining himself from jumping over there at every whimper and cry. One day he will admit to his feelings! Until then bring on the popcorn and candy! Hehehe

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After Mai left the room, Naru turned to Bou-san, John and Masako. "We will begin the exorcisms in one hour. The sun will be fully down at that time. Prepare yourselves." He turned away and started to work at the computers. The three of them looked at each other and nodded.

When the night had fully taken over everyone was ready.

"In the beginning…" John in-toned, splashing holy water about him.

Bou-san began his chant and Ayako stood still eyes flickering watching the ghosts being removed from the physical world to the spiritual. Lin and Naru followed them from room to room. When they reached the math room the room began to shake, dark encroached the room and the figure of a demented tortured woman appeared at the head of the classroom.

"Nooo!" She wailed hands to her head, body arched unnaturally in response to the pain of the exorcisms being cast at her by John and Bou-san.

"Stop!" Masako called rushing in front of the men. Startled they did as she commanded. She turned to the woman who was whimpering, holding her head.

"Momma, momma please! I don't want to go into the dark! I'll be good! I will do just as you say. Please momma!"

Masako approached the ghost carefully, the men behind her ready to defend. "Jun Hisoka? Please we just want to help. No child should have to go through what we know you went through. Please, you need to accept that you are a good girl and you are sorry for what you have done."

A breath of air let out in a soft sigh, "Momma…"

"It's ok; I know that she was proud of you."

"She was!?" The woman ghost looked up to Masako hope and pain in her child-like eyes.

Masako nodded.

The ghost gave a soft happy smile. "Momma." Golden light filled the room and the ghost of a happy girl child rose from the room, taking with her the bright lights of the girls that had been trapped in the school with her. Everyone watched, happy smiles on Masako's and John's faces.

When it was over everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They all walked out into the court yard for a breath of night air. After a moment Naru turned to Masako and John. "I want you two to go check up on Mai and Ayako. We will start packing." The two nodded and set off for the van. As they were driving down the road, Bou-san cut his eyes to Naru. "There is still one more ghost."

He nodded. "Yes, but this one will be shown no mercy for what she has done."

Bou-san nodded looking at the fading tail-lights of the van. Naru had just effectively taken the most soft-hearted team members out of the building. There would be no mercy for the woman, no monster who had tortured Mai, her students and more importantly her very own daughter.

Lin, Naru and Bou-san turned and went into the school. It was time to hunt.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The halls were quiet. Before they had never seemed to be silent. The chatter of the girls during the day and the haunting of the girl spirits at night. Bou-san felt tense in this atmosphere. He watched Naru from the corner of his eye. He seemed calm and unperturbed. Looking further at Lin, the tall man seemed just as confident and unfazed.

Their footsteps echoed down the lonely hallway.

As they headed to their show-down Bou-san reflected on recent events. On the last case Mai had confessed her love for Naru. But she was completely out of it and unaware at the time. Of course everyone else had heard. This time, Naru had confessed some feelings for Mai, in a round-about way, he supposed; telling her spirit to come back to him, not the rest of the team, but to him. Only himself and Masako, poor girl, were there for that revelation. If they both confessed to some attraction when the other person wasn't in a position to respond, does that still count? Masako certainly wouldn't tell Mai of Naru little slip; Naru of course wouldn't repeat himself. That left him to tell, but he didn't really want to. Who wants to learn such things second hand? Better for Naru to eventually work it out with her and have them both confess when something could come of it.

The wall hit him about the time he realized that Lin and Naru had stopped walking. Shrugging sheepishly from the floor he picked himself up. Facing the direction that the other two were, he realized they had come back to the headmaster's office.

Naru knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Bou-san started. Obviously he hadn't expected an answer.

Naru gave him a sharp stare as he went in. Filing in after Lin the three men went into the office.

Montai Minoka, the Headmaster, was sitting calmly behind the desk. Paperwork at her elbow. She gestured towards the chairs.

"Please sit down. I trust that you are here to give me an update on whether that ghost is still here?"

"The ghost, was indeed Jun Hisoka, we have directed her towards the right path with the help of our physic Maskao Hara. When her soul departed she took with her the trapped souls of the young girls with her."

The Headmaster sagged, sad and happy, "That is wonderful news. I am happy she is finally at peace."

"However, we have learned that there is one more ghost who is still here."

The headmaster stiffened. Her brown eyes sharp on Naru's face. "Ohhh?"

"Yes, it seems as though the mother, the Headmaster Jun was also involved in the haunting of this school."

"Really, did that girl, Mai? Tell you that." She asked unnaturally angry, Bou-san thought.

"Naru!" He called out.

"I know."

"Know what!?" Headmaster Minoka said, head whipping from Naru to Bou-san and back again.

Gently, still sitting in the chair as though nothing was wrong, he replied. "You have been possessing the current headmaster, and using us to get rid of your daughter who was causing people to look too closely at the school again."

Headmaster Minoka sat back, "I have no idea what you are talking about." She replied loftily.

"Very well, if you don't mind, my colleague Lin will check the room, maybe we are wrong." He stared her down, blue eyes cold and challenging.

Her body quivered for a moment. Then with a wave she said. "If it pleases you, but rest assured you won't find anything."

"Lin."

Lin whistled slow and sweet.

The room brightened with soft light, the air seemed warmer and a gentle breeze swept through the room. Stirring the clothes and tousling the men's hair gently.

The headmaster sat stock still. Clothes stiff and every hair in place. She watched them until the whistle was done. Then she smiled a soft smirk. "See nothing."

"Your right, nothing in that reacted to you. But it should have."

Something ugly crossed the gentle woman's face. Bou-san's eyes widened. For a moment, some one face, full of hate had hovered just over her. Like a Halloween mask, ugly and scary, with real eyes behind it pleading.

Bou-san jumped up, beads stretched hand from hand, fists out in front, he chanted. The headmaster jumped back in the chairs, pushing it back and standing herself. Hate no longer a mask; she crouched down low as though she would attack, Lin whistled, bright lights rushing out to her, circling. Snarling she growled at him and Bou-san. Naru watched from his chair, calm.

She snarled more fiercely and then pushed out with her arms, flinging them at Lin. Sharp cuts appeared in his arms. He broke off for a moment and she raced at Bou-san, knocking him down and crouching over him, snarling and spitting in his face. Before he could move her body was knocked off of him with another flash of light and a whistle.

Screaming from her position on the floor she was a crazy, inhuman thing. Jerking and gibbering evil things about what she would do if she could.

"Bou-san, it is time." Naru was still sitting. He got up and walked over to the woman. Looking down at her, he knelt next to her and hands and arms glowing with swirling light he held her down. Lin went to her legs and together she was completely prone and open to Bou-san's exorcism.

"Right!"

Chanting strong and sure he pulled out an ofuda scroll and then slapped it to the headmaster's forehead.

She screamed! Back arching and then the spirit of the former Headmaster Jun appeared over her still body.

The men crouched around the woman on the floor were blasted back into the wall and bookcase.

"How dare you!!" I will rend your soul from you body and make you wander for all eternity!"

Shaking his head from the impact with the wall, Bou-san saw her diving for Naru, who had crashed into the bookcase.

"Naru!!"

Lin looked up and whistled sharply, lights racing and cutting her off before she could touch him.

Screaming in wordless rage, she tried again. Lin whistled and then Naru opened his eyes. He sat up, looking the enraged woman in the face. "You do not deserve any forgiveness or mercy!" Glowing, his own face hard and intent, he looked at the ofuda still attached to the headmaster Minoka and it came off glowing as speed toward the ghost like a small shooting star, hitting her in the head.

She shrieked and then the ofuda and she seemed to light on fire and then they burned. "Nooo!"

Suddenly it seemed dark in the room, the ghost and Naru had stopped glowing.

"Naru? Naru!" Lin called his voice tight with worry.

"I'm fine." Naru was still sitting by the bookcase looking a little tired. Bou-san looked at the woman on the floor. "We should get her to a hospital."

Lin and Naru nodded, pulling themselves up. Lin picked up the woman, Bou-san walked carefully by Naru, and they left the office.


	9. Chapter 9

Author note. This is going to be short. But it covers the ending and wraps it up. When I am not so busy I will start the next or continuation of my little series. I do want to point out though that I usually have my stories timed before the point where Mai and Naru share their Confession in the Manga series. Because of that, at no point will I wrap up their relationship in a neat little bow and have them lovey-dovey and ready to make babies. Frankly I like the romance and tension that comes from them dancing around each other's feelings.

Chapter Nine

It should, of course, come as no surprise that as soon as the men started for the door, Naru collapsed. He had let his emotions get the best of him during the fight and had allowed himself to use the power that overwhelmed him. It ended up that Lin carried Naru out, while Bou-san carried the headmaster out. Together the two of them took their hurt charges to the hospital.

The look on everyone's face was priceless. They had all been worried about Mai's injuries only to transfer that over to the comatose Naru. Mai was especially upset. She had been checked out of the hospital because there was nothing they could do for her bruises. When Lin had showed up with a hurt Naru everyone had panicked. It had been up to Bou-san to explain the events that had taken place. This, of course, led to some bickering between him and Ayako about how they should not have gone off crusading without everyone else around as back up.

Maskao had been silent, John surprised, both understood much better then Ayako and Mai that this meant that the spirit had been sent to oblivion. Such an exorcism was not about forgiveness or encouraging the spirit to move on. It was about getting rid of it so it could not plague the school anymore.

When Lin came out of the care unit Naru had been placed in, he was bombarded by the team. Silently he opened the door as opposed to trying to discuss Naru's condition. He just about got run over.

"Naru! Naru!" Cried the bruised Mai, rushing into his room.

He laid there quiet, eyes shut. Suddenly he opened them and looked at the group of people standing around him concerned and upset. Finally lingering on Mai, he looked away.

"Mai, Tea."


End file.
